Stereotype plate casting machine



March 1965 P. TOLLISON ETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1961 I1/v./// so 73 jumif 1%} M 97% ATToRNEYs I PAUL March 9, 1955 P. TOLLISONETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 6. 1961FIG. 7

s B NM" 8 6 S mm Y u H E ToLc N W m u n m A "0PM M B WW2 March 1965 P.L. TOLLISON ETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1961 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 PJFY 'TK EE ON CHARLES L. RICARDS Y PAUL J. SCHKEEPER Wm, M 7 ATTORNEYSMarch 9, 1965 Filed June 6, 1961 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS BY P UL J.scHKEEPER pm w), M l M X f ATTORNEYS March 9, 1965 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL3, 7

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 6. 1961FIG. IO

INVENTO RS PAUL L. TOLLISON CHARLES L. RICARDS BY PAUL J. SCHKEEPER WW,I M f ATToRNl-tvs FIG. ll

March 9, 1965 P. TOLLISON ETAL STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 6. 1961 lNVENTO RS UL L. TOLLISON L. RICARDSCHARLES ATTORNEYS March 9, 1965 Filed June 6, 1961 FIG. l4

P. L. TOLLISON ETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS PAUL L.TOLLISON CHARLES L. RICARDS BY PAUL J. SCHKEEPER M $7 7 ATTORNEYS March1955 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE Filed June 6,1961 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 mom INVENTORS PAUL L. TOLLISON CHARLES L. RlCARDSPAUt. J. SCHKEEPER M I M 2 $75 ATTORNEYS Mflmh 9, 1965 P. TOLLISON ETAL3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed June 6. 1961wmu PAUL L.T L CHARLES L. RICARDS 'PA L J SCHKEEPER %M6/ M 3 74ATTORNEYS March 1955 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed June 6. 1961INVENTORS C RLES L.

PmL J. SCHKEEPER ATTORNEYS March 9, 1965 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL 3,

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed June 6, 1961INVENTORS zaaaL -se afxaos BY PAZL sc'HK EPER w I Eonvw: Z C ATTORNEYSMarch 1965 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1961 17 Sheets-Sheet 13FIG. 20

FIG. l9

lNVENTORS PAUL L. TOLLISON CHARLES L. RICARDS I BY PAU J. SCHKEEPER 1W,M, @406, M 423 5? ATTORNEYS March 9, 1965 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL 3,172,172

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE KEEPER MC M 2 ATTORNEYS NN QE INVENTORSPAUL L. TOLLISON CHARLES L. RICARDS BY PAUL .8921

l7 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed June 6. 1961 March 9, 19 P. 1.. TOLLISON ETAL3,

STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1961 17 Sheets-Sheet 15FIG. 23

INVENTO R5 PAUL S FIKEPE March 9, 1965 P. L. TOLLISON ETAL STEREOTYPEPLATE CASTING MACHINE l7 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed June 6, 1961 T aEzN PAULL. 0|. CHARLES L. RICARDS BY PAUL .1 W 7 IA:TTORNEYS March 9, 196 P. 1..TOLLISON ETAL STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING momma 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 17 FiledJune 6, 1961 United States Patent 3,172,172 STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTINGMACHINE Paul L. Tollison, North Piainfieid, Charles L. Ricards,

South Plaiiifield, and Paul J. Schkeeper, Plain'field, N..I.,

assignors to Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation,

Plainfield, N.J., a corporation of Virginia Filed June 6, 1961, Ser. No.115,145 11 Claims. (Cl. 22-8) This invention relates to a stereotypeplate casting machine and more particularly to a stereotype platecasting and finishing machine for making newspaper printing plates.

Stereotype plate castings used in newspaper presses must be cast quicklyand without any blemishes on the type surface because of gas evolvingfrom the molten metal as it soldifies. Usually the plate is cast withthe tail portion at the top of the plate as it lies in the mold cavityso that gases may rise into this portion and also to provide asufficient reservoir of molten metal to counteract for shrinkage of thecasting as it solidifies. The tail portion is then severed from thecasting and the cut edge of the remaining plate portion of the castingbeveled so that it may be fitted onto a printing cylinder. In addition,recesses are often milled on the underside of the plate so that theplate may be locked onto the printing cylinder by plate locking clampsmounted on the cylinder.

It is desirable for the ports comprising the mold cavities of themachine to be controllably cooled in order that a maximum number ofplates may be cast in a minimum amount of time under proper temperatureconditions. It is further desirable that the complete machine be as automatic in operation as possible in order to reduce labor expense and thenecessity of manually handling hot castings. It is further desirablethat the machine have safeguards to prevent inadvertent jamups of platesas they move from the casting station on to the other finishingstations.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide for a platecasting and finishing machine in which the steps from the act of castinguntil the plate is completely finished and cooled and ready for removalto the pressroom are completely automatic. 4

A further object of our invention is to provide for a plate castingmachine which will operate at a high rate of production and which willbe able to rapidly cool molten metal in" the mold in order that castingsmay be moved to finishing stations.

It is a further object to provide for means which will automaticallymove plates from a shaving arch wherein the tail is severed from theplate so doing away with manual handling of the hot plate. Still afurther object is to provide means whereby severed tails and defectiveplates may be ejected from the casting machine and returned to a meltingpot.

An additional object of our invention is to provide a safety stop meanswhereby a plate will be prevented from inadvertently entering a millingstation in which recesses are milled while another plate is still in thestation.

Broadly, we propose to provide for a plate casting and finishing machinewhich has a casting station, a shaving station, an ejection station, amilling station, and a cooling station. The casting station comprises amovable core which cooperates wtih a movable box to form amold cavity.The core has therein circulating passages through which a circulatingcooling fluid may flow to provide an even cooling over the entiresurface of the core adjacent to the mold cavity. In particular, the corehas therein a manifold separated from the core" body by a coolingsection. The manifold has an inlet for the admission of a cooling fluidand a plurality of jets so that the cooling fluid may be sprayed intothe cooling section $172,172 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 onto the Wall of thecore forming a side wall of the mold cavity. Discharges are placed atthe bottom of the cooling section and the total crosssectional area ofthe discharges is greater than the inlet in order to insure completeremoval of water from the core when the inlet is closed.

Core rotation means are provided for rotating the core to a horizontalposition where pusher means may then push the casting into the shavingstation. In the shaving station, the tail is severed from the castingand the severed edge trimmed by conventional means.

Propeller means are provided in the shaving station for moving the castplate out of the station. The propeller means comprises a rotatable lugmounted on a lug carriage. The lug carriage in turn is slidably mountedin tracks on a rotatable knife bar which carries thereon a cutting sawfor severing the tail section from the casting and knives for bevelingthe severed end of the casting. The carriage is connected to a drivechain which in turn is intermittently driven by the rot'ata-ble knifebar.

Powered roller are provided to carry the severed tail from the shavingstation to an ejection station and also to move the plate after it ismoved out of the shaving station by the propeller means.

The ejection station of the casting machine has a pivotable arm thereinwhich pivots underneath a severed tail to throw the tail from themachine onto a conveyor which returns it to the melting pot. Thepivot'a'ble arm also has a control so that the arm may beaetuated toeject a defective plate from the casting machine.

Incline means are provided betweenthe ejection station and millingstation for moving the plate to the milling station. Safety s't'op meansare positioned between the ejection station and the milling station onthe incline means to prevent inadvertent entry of a plate in the millingarch While another plate is being milled in the arch. The safety stopmeans comprises two retractable stop moved by the miller drive means inthe milling arch and which Operate so that when one stop moves out ofthe path of a plate moving into the arch, the other stop will move up sothat the plate may move down the incline means to the arch only whenboth stops are in a retracted position.

Referring to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of ourinvention is shown,

FIG. 1 is a front partial sectional view of a complete plate castingandfinishing machine constructed according to, our invent-ion;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of FIG. 1 taken along lines 22 illustratingconveyor means for removing chips from the machine to a second conveyorwhich returns the chips to a melting pot;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a core andcasting boxofthe machine of FIG. 1 shown in the casting position;-

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a core of FIG. 3 taken along lines4-4;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the core of FIG. 3 taken along lines55;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of a portion of the machine of FIG. 1 illustratingpusher means for moving the plate from the core into a shaving station;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the end of the machine ofFIG. 1' taken alonglines-77;

, FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the machine of FIG. 1illustrating the propelling means for moving a plate out of the shavingstation;

FIG. 9 is a View similar to FIG. 8 showing the exit end of the shavingstation;

FIG. 10 is a broken plan view of the shaving station of FIGS. 8 and 9with the shaving arch removed;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the propeller arm shownin FIG. 8- taken along lines 11-11;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the knife bar and tail cutterassembly taken along lines 1212 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged end view of the differential gear assemblyillustrated in FIG. 9 taken along lines 13--13;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged side sectional view of the shaving arch clampingdrive means and of a part of the propeller arm drive means;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 14 taken along lines 1515;

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 14 taken along lines16-16 illustrating the shaving arch lockup means;

FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 14 taken along lines17--17 illustrating a part of the propeller arm drive means;

FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 14 taken along lines18-18 and illustrating the ejector arm mechanism;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 16 taken along lines1919;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 16 taken along lines2020;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 17 taken along lines21-21;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 1illustrating the safety stop means for preventing inadvertent entry of aplate in the milling station;

FIG. 23 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 22 takenalong lines 2424; and,

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 22 taken along lines 25-25.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1,1 denotes generally a stereotype plate casting machine having a castingstation 200, a shaving station 300, an ejection station 500, a millingstation 600, and a cooling station 700.

The casting station comprises a melting pot 202 in which metal may bemelted so that it may be pumped by conventional pumping means throughthe spout 204 from where it may drop into a mold cavity 206 formed by amovable casting box 208 and a movable casting core 210 as shown in FIG.3. The casting box 208 has therein a suction space 212 which isconnected by means of a conduit 214 to a suction pump (not shown) inorder that a mat M may be securely held therein. The box, which ismovable laterally by means not shown, has a cooling section 216 throughwhich coolant may be circulated.

The core 219 has therein a cooling section 218 and a manifold section220. An inlet passage 222 communicates with a flexible hose 224 throughwhich cooling water may flow into the manifold 220. A plurality of portsor nozzles 226 extend through a wall of the manifold into the coolingsection 218. At the bottom of the cooling section 218 are dischargepassages 228 and 233 through which the cooling water is discharged fromthe cooling section. A flexible hose 231, which connects with dischargepassage 228, extends onto the shaving arch so that a portion of thecooling water passing from the core is also used to cool the shavingarch. The nozzles 226 near the bottom end of the manifold are spacedcloser together than at the top so that more water may be passed intothe lower portion of the cooling section than in the upper portion ofthe cooling section. This is so that the cooling of the core will beeven along its length since molten metal flowing into mold cavity 206from the spout 204 will initially fill the bottom of the cavity so thatthe bottom of the mold will tend to be hotter than the top if noprovision were made to provide extra cooling. The total area of thedischarge passages 228 and 233 is greater than that of the inlet passage222 to insure that no water will remain in the cooling section after theinlet is closed by a solenoid-operated valve (not shown) before the coreis rotated. The core must be emptied of water before a plate is castotherwise the core would become too cold which would produce a defectivecasting.

The core 210 is rotatable to a horizontal position by means of ahydraulic actuator 230. The actuator 230 has a movable rod 232 whichconnects to an arm 234 which is rotatable about a shaft 236. An arm 238is integral with arm 234 and is connected by a link 240 to the core 210.The core is partially supported in a vertical position by means of anarm 242 which is pivotable about a point (not shown).

The core and box are moved in a manner and by the apparatus as shown inapplication Serial No. 802,481, filed March 27, 1959, by P. L. Tollisonand C. L. Ricards, now Patent No. 3,052,933 issued Sept. 11, 1962. Inorder to cast a plate, the box is first moved horizontally away from thecore to a tilted position wherein a mat may be easily and accuratelypositioned in the box after which the mat is clamped into the box by matclips (not shown). The box is then tilted to the vertical position ormat stripping position and moved horizontally to the casting position asshown in FIG. 3 wherein it forms with the core 210 a mold cavity. Whilethe box is in the mat stripping position, the core is in a horizontalposition and rotates to the vertical before the box moves to the castingposition. Molten metal is then pumped from the melting pot 202 throughspout 204 so that it falls into the mold cavity. After the metal hassolidified, the casting box is moved horizontally to the mat strippingposition after which the core is rotated to a position as shown in FIG.6 where the plate is lifted by plate lifters (not shown) from the core.

When the casting has been lifted off the core, a pusher arm 250 as shownin FIGS. 6 and 7 is rotated by a hydraulic actuator 252 about a shaft254 so that a contact shoe 256, carried on the end of the arm, willextend down and behind the casting as shown in FIG. 7. The pusher arm,shaft, and actuator are all carried by a bracket 258 in turn carried bya bar 260 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine.The bracket 258 is prevented from turning about the rod 260 by means ofa square bar 262 which extends parallel to and below bar 260. Thebracket has a plate 264 which extends behind the bar to prevent thebracket from rotating about the bar 260.

The pusher arm is provided with two limit switches 266, only one ofwhich is shown in FIG. 7, operated by cams 268 and 270 which operatesolenoid valves to control admission of pressure fluid to actuator 252.

The bracket 258 is moved longitudinally of the machine by means of adouble acting transfer actuator 272. A chain 274 connects at one end tothe actuator 272 and at the other end with a piston rod 276 whilemeshing with cogs 278 and 280. Application of pressure to either end ofthe actuator will cause the piston rod to move and rotate a shaft 281 onwhich cog 278 is mounted. A drive cog 282, which is also mounted onshaft 281, will rotate so moving a chain 283 and bracket 258.

As the pusher arm approaches the shaving station 300 and is clear of thecore 210, the bracket will contact a limit switch 284 which willactivate a solenoid valve (not shown) to allow pressure to be applied tocore rotation actuator 230 to return the core to the vertical castingposition shown in FIG. 3. A limit switch 285 is activated by the bracketto cause reversal of hydraulic pressure in actuator 272 and thus servesto limit movement of the casting into the shaving station and to returnthe pusher arm to the start position.

As the bracket clears the shaving station 300, it will activate a switch286 which will operate a solenoid valve to cause hydraulic pressure inactuator 252 to raise arm 250. As the bracket reaches the extreme limitof its travel to the left as shown in FIG. 11, it will contact a furtherlimit switch (not shown) which causes a bleed-off in pressure inactuator 272 thus stopping the pusher arm in the correct position toagain remove a casting from the core.

some

The complete pushing operation is begun when the core on reaching theretracted or horizontal position activates a limit switch (not shown) tocause pressure to be admitted to the actuator 252 to cause the arm todrop.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, there is shown a shaving arch 301 havingmeans for severing a tail portion T of a plate casting P along withmeans for moving the plate out of the shaving arch. A plate is initiallypositioned in the shaving arch by means of the plate pusher arm 250 aspreviously explained and until cast lugs L, which are cast onto the tailportion of a plate as shown in FIG. 10, contact adjustable stops 303 asshown in FIG. 12. The stops 303 are adjustable and are attached to arotatable knife bar 302 which is journalled in bearing assemblies 304and 305 carried in the frame of the casting and finishing machine. Theknife bar is rotated by a worm gear 307 connected to a drive means (notshown).

After the plate has been positioned in the shaving arch 301, it is readyto be lifted and clamped to the underside of the arch so that the tailmay be severed and the severed edge beveled.

Referring to FIGS. 9, 14, and 16, it is seen that a drive gear 306mounted on the rotatable knife bar 302 meshes with a clamp-up gear 308'which is keyed to a cam shaft 310 journalled in bearings 313 and 315mounted in the frame of the casting and finishing machine. Cam shaft 310has thereon a cam 312 on which a cam follower 314 is mounted on a yoke316. Yoke 316 in turn is connected to an arm 318' which is mounted on arotatable shaft 320. Shaft 320 also has thereon an arm 322 connected toa further arm 324 which has on the end thereof a foot 326 on which oneend the plate rests. The other end of the plate rests upon a track 327so that the plate is supported by the track 327 and foot 326 while inthe shaving station. A spring 317 urges the cam follower 314 into closecon tact with the cam 312 at all times. Itis seen that when the camshaft 310' is rotated, as the cam follower hits the high part of thecam, it will cause the arm 322 to rot-ate in a counterclockwisedirection as shown in FIG. 16 to raise the foot 326 and so raise theplate casting P until it securely abuts the underside of the shavingarch.

A saw 330, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 12, is rotatably mounted in a sawbody 332 which in turn is mounted on the rotatable knife bar 302. Thesaw 330 is rotated in the saw body by means of a saw drive shaft 334through gears 336, 338 and 340. The saw drive shaft 334 in turn isdriven by a belt drive 342 connectedto a drive means (not shown).

Also mounted on the rotatable knife bar are knives 344 and 346 whichserve to eut a bevel 348 on a plate P and to shave the ribs inside theplate after the tail portion T has been severed from the plate by saw330. After the tail has been severed it will drop down on poweredrollers 350, FIGS. 22 and 23, which will carry the tail to the ejectionstation where it will be ejected from the machine and returned to themelting pot as more fully explained hereafter.

The propeller means for moving the cast plate, after the tail portion Thas been severed therefrom, out of the shaving arch is best illustratedin FIGS. 8, 9, 10, and 11. The propeller means comprises a rotatable lug360 which is mounted on a shaft 362 whichin turn is carried by acarriage 364. The l'ug'360 has a-tors'ion spring 366 which urges the lugupward so that it may contact the rear end of a plate to' move the plateout of the shaving arch and so that a casting may pass over it whenmoved into the arch by the pusher arm 250. The carriage 364 slides intracks or ways 368 which in turn are connected to a knife bar 302. Thecarriage 364 is connected through a narrow slot 370' in the ways 368 toa chain-operated "carrier 372 by means of a pin 374. The chain-operatedcarrier 372 is slidable in ways 376 machined in the knife bar 302, andthe chain-operated carrier is confined in the ways 376 by the ways 368which also serve as a protective covering to prevent entry of metalchips, shavings, etc.

into the ways The chain-operated carrier is connected by a pin 378 to aspecial link 380 which is a part of a chain 382. Chain 382' fits onto anadjustable sprocket 384 and to a drive sprocket 3 86. The adjustablesprocket 384 is sl-idable longitudinally of the knife bar in ways 388machined in the cutter bar and is held in position in the ways by aclamp 390. By moving the sprocket 384, the tension of the chain 382 maybe adjusted.

Drive sprocket 386 is driven by mitre gears 392 and 394 as shown in FIG.9. Mitre gear 394 has an integral shaft 396 which extends outward-1y ofthe knife bar 302 and has secured to its end a differential gear 398.Differential gear 398 in turn meshes with cluster bevel gears 400 and402. Gears 400 and 402 are journalled in a spider 404 which is rotatableabout shaft 396. An input gear 406 is a central member of thedifferential and is an integral part of the enclosing structure for thedifferential.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and20, it is seen that a gear 408 is keyed to adifferential bevel gear 410 which also meshes with gears 400 and 402.Gear 408 meshes with a pinion 412 wihch in turn meshes with anotherpinion 414 as best shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. Pinion 414 meshes withdrive gear 306 which is also used to actuate the plate clampingmechanism in order to clamp the plate up against the shavingarch 301.

Referring to FIGS; 14, 17, and 21, it is seen that gear 406 of thedifferential meshes with a gear 416 which in turn is keyed to a gear 418journalled on cam shaft 310. Gear 418 meshes with a idler gear 420 whichis engaged by a rack 422. Rack: 422 may be moved by a doubie actingfluid actuator 424. Fluid pressure to actuator 424 is controlled by asolenoid-operated valve (not shown). controlled by a limit switch 426and a cam-operated switch 428. A earn 430 is mounted on cam shaft 310and will actuate switch 428 to cause hydraulic pressure to be admittedto the blind side of actuator 424 to move the rack 422 to the right asshown in FIG. 17. When rack 422 contacts limit switch 426, it will causehydraulic pressure to be admitted to the rod end of the actuator 424 socausing the rack to move to the left as shown in FIG. 17.

During rotation of the knife bar 302, the propeller means 360 will tendto move and not be in correct position to receive a plate coming intothe shaving arch 301 if provision is not made in the arrangement of thegear: ing to cancel out the planetary effect of the rotation of theknife bar and the relative position of the propeller means. In theillustrated arrangement of gearing, it will be'evident from FIGS. 19 and2 0 that when the knife baf rotates one revolution, gear 306, keyed tothe knife bar, will cause gear 408 through intermeshing pinions 4 12 and414 to also rotate one revolution but in an opposite direction to thatof the knife bar. Gear 408, which is keyed to gear 410, will then causegears 400 and 402' to rotate. If the spider 404 is locked from rotationby maintaining fluid pressure in actuator 4 24 and thus locking the rack422 and gears 420, 418, 416, and 408 from movement, then gears 400 and 402 will cause' the gear 398' and shaft 396 to rotate in the samedirection as the knife bar 302 with no relative movement between them.Since there is no relative movement, the propeller arm 360 will remainstationary with respect to the knife bar.

The sequence of operation in propelling a plate out of the shaving archis as follows: As the knife bar rotates and just before it stops, earn430 will trip switch 428 setting up an electrical circuit so that whenthe knife bar stops rotating, the cam 430 will release the switch 428 vto energize a solenoid valve (not shown) to divert a

1. A STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING AND FINISHING MACHINE COMPRISING A CASTING STATION, A MOVABLE WATER-COOLED CORE AND A MOVABLE CASTING BOX IN SAID CASTING STATION, SAID CORE AND BOX TOGETHER FORMING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING MOLDE CAVITY INTO WHCH MOLTEN METAL MAY BE POURED, CORE ROTATION MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CORE AND A CAST PLATE TO A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, PLATE PUSHER MEANS FOR PUSHING SAID PLATE FROM SAID CASTING STATION INTO A SHAVING STATION, A ROTATABLE KNIFE BAR HAVING A CUTTING SAW THEREON FOR SEVERING A TAIL FROM A CAST PLATE WHILE IN SAID SHAVING STATION, AND EJECTION STATION, POWERED ROLLER MEANS FOR MOVING A SEVERAL TAIL FROM SAID HOUSING STATION INTO SAID EJECTION STATION, PROPELLER MEANS FOR MOVING A PLATE FROM SAID SHAVING STATION ONTO SAID POWERED ROLELRS SOT THAT SAID PLATE MAY BE CARRIED TO SAID EJECTION STATION, EJECTOR MEANS IN SAID EJECTION STATION FOR EJECTING SEVERED TAILS FROM SAID CASTING MACHINE AND FOR EJECTIING EFFECTIVE PLATES FROM SAID CASTING MACHINE, RETRACTABLE EJECTION STOP MEANS FO STOPPING A PLATE IN SAID EJECTON STATION, INCLINED MEANS FOR MOVING A PLATE BY GRAVITY FROM SAID POWERED ROLLER MEANS, A MILLING STATION WHEREIN RECESSES ARE MILLED ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF SAID PLATES, AND RETRACTABLE SAFETY STOP MEANS FOR PREVENTING INADVERTENT MOVEMENT OF A PLATE FROM SAID INCLINE MEANS INTO SAID MILLING STATION. 